System and method for blocking the use of a service in a telecommunication system

ABSTRACT

A method and system for controlling the use of a short message service in a telecommunication system that includes a telecommunication network, a terminal device by which a subscriber is connected to the network, a mobile services switching center connected to the network, a gateway connected to the network, a short message service center connected to the gateway, and a database (DB) connected to or associated with the gateway. A short message sent by an originating subscriber is checked as to whether the short message is among those deemed non-allowed. Forwardable short messages are directed to the gateway, from which the database is queried to determine whether the originating subscriber is permitted the short message to the intended recipient or, alternatively, whether the message should been blocked based on predetermined criteria.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to telecommunication systems and, inparticular, is directed to a method and system for controllingsubscriber access to services accessed through a telecommunicationsystem using short messages.

2. Description of Related Art

Mobile communication networks, such as digital GSM (Global System forMobile Communications) networks, have become extremely popularthroughout a large part of the world. The primary advantage presented bymobile communication networks, as compared to traditional fixedtelephone networks, is the air or wireless interface provided betweenthe subscriber's terminal device and the physical wired network, whichwireless interface enables wide-ranging subscriber mobility.

Since their introduction, digital mobile networks have provided to theirsubscribers the ability to use and access a variety of servicesincluding the so-called short message service or SMS. In the shortmessage service a subscriber or user of a mobile station has the abilityto send a short text message of up to 160 characters from the user'smobile station to, by way of example, another user of a respectivemobile station who has a terminal device capable of receiving the shortmessage. The short message is transmitted from the mobile station via awireless interface separate from or outside of the speech-transmittingtime slots, there enabling a user to receive short messages at the sametime that the user is already engaged in an ongoing voice call with adifferent party.

To date, short messages have become very popular among telecommunicationsystem subscribers, and system operators have developed and implementedan unusually large number of short messaging services and other servicesthat are accessible or usable via short messages for additional charges.This has in practice meant that a certain portion of the availablenumerical address space on the system has been allocated for theseservices. Technically this means that separate analyses are carried outin the short message service center for these various allocated numbers;based on these analyses, short messages sent by subscribers to thosenumbers are further forwarded or transmitted to the appropriatelocations, such as service providers or application providers.

The short message service has typically either been activated for aparticular subscriber or it has not been activated for that subscriber.As currently implemented the systems for transmission of short messagesdo not permit the blocking of short message service messages or requestsbased on the B-subscriber (i.e. the intended recipient) number or basedon specific or otherwise predetermined or specified search words orterms that may be contained in the short message text. This has limitedthe versatility of short messaging services and has prevented serviceproviders and system operators from providing or fully implementing someservices that subscribers might otherwise use or access via shortmessages.

OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is accordingly the desideratum of the present invention to eliminate,or at least significantly alleviate, the drawbacks and deficiencies ofprior art systems and designs, as for example those hereinabovediscussed.

It is a particular object of the invention to provide a method andsystem that permits the selective blocking of transmission of shortmessages that are addressed to a particular numerical space or intendeddestination address, or which contain a specific search word and/orspecified textual information content.

The invention has evolved from a recognition that the merchandising ofshort messages for additional charges is likely to initiate a desireamong some system operators and controllers of telephone traffic toprovide for its customers selective blocking of the functionality oravailability of, or access to, certain services or the like that areaccessed or used or merchandised via short messages. Just as access tospecified telephone numbers may if required be selectively blocked, sotoo can the blocking of certain short messages be implemented inaccordance with the present invention. The primary objective of theinvention is accordingly to enable and implement such selective blockingof short messages.

The present invention is effective to control the use of short messageservices as available functionality of the network in such a way toimplement SMS barring in conjunction with a subscriber-specific databasethat is installed in or attached to the network. The database containsinformation on whether blocking of SMS message transmission has beendefined or implemented for a particular subscriber. If so, then the SMSbarring must be able to determine, based on information included in thedatabase and the intended destination number of the short messageand/or, optionally, on the inclusion (or absence) of a predeterminedsearch word or phrase in the short message text, whether transmission ofthat short message should be permitted for that subscriber. If it isdetermined that the subscriber is not entitled or authorized to use theservice to which the short message is directed, or to send a shortmessage to the intended destination number, then the short message isnot transmitted further and is thereby blocked from delivery to theintended destination.

The invention specifically relates to a method and system forcontrolling a short message service in a mobile communication systemthat includes a telecommunication network, a terminal device by which ashort message-originating subscriber is connected to thetelecommunication network, a mobile services switching center connectedto the telecommunication network, a gateway that is connected to thetelecommunication network and which provides operative functionalityassociated with the transmission of traffic, a short message servicecenter connected to the gateway, and a database that is connected to thegateway and in which subscriber information may be saved and stored. Theinventive system further includes a first and a second signal interfacein the environment of the gateway. The gateway operatively provides theability to enable communication between the various network componentsvia the first and second signal interfaces.

In the inventive method, a short message from the terminal device of theoriginating subscriber is created and then transmitted from the terminaldevice to the telecommunication network. The short message is routed tothe short message service center in which the short message is checkedor screened, i.e. as to whether they are among those not authorized orpermitted, as they arrive. By way of illustration, this initial checkingor screening may determine whether the destination address of the shortmessage lies within a predetermined address space for which shortmessages addressed to that address space are not necessarily permittedto proceed (so-called non-allowed messages)—as for example where thedestination address could be for a service that requires special accessrights, or where additional charges might be applicable for the service.From the short message service center, those short messages that havebeen identified as forwardable from the short message service center aresent to the gateway. The message is then checked or screened against adatabase in or accessible to the gateway to determine whether thesubscriber is in fact permitted to send that short message. In the eventthat it is determined that transmission of the short message should beblocked, then further transmission to the intended recipient isprevented and the originating subscriber is informed that the shortmessage has in fact been blocked. This notification may be transmittedto the originating subscriber's terminal device using, by way ofexample, a short message, USSD (Unstructured Supplementary ServiceData), or any other suitable mechanism.

In an embodiment of the invention, the latter checking of the shortmessage is based on the destination number dialed or entered by thesubscriber attempting to send the short message. The short message mayalso be checked based on its text content.

The blocking definitions that are used in the checking of short messagesmay be attached to the blocking information that is located in thetelecommunication system home location register, as defined by thesystem operator.

The present invention additionally provides a system for controllingsubscriber use of a short message service in a telecommunication systemthat includes a telecommunication network, a terminal device by whichthe subscriber is connected to the telecommunication network, a mobileservices switching center that is connected to the telecommunicationnetwork, a gateway connected to the telecommunication network and whichoperatively provides functionality associated with the transmission oftraffic, a short message service center that is connected to thegateway, and a database connected to the gateway and in which subscriberinformation and checking or screening or blocking definitions may bestored.

In the inventive system, a checking block or function is employed tocheck, in the short message service center using a first checkingcondition, whether the short message is among non-allowed shortmessages. Non-allowed messages may by way of example be those for whichthe intended destination address or number is in or among apredetermined numerical address space of the system or network. If it isdetermined that the message is among such non-allowed short messages,then a database block is employed to further check, based on the storedblocking definitions, whether the subscriber is permitted or entitled tosend such the short message.

The aforementioned checking block is also operable to check the shortmessage based on a second checking condition utilizing the intendeddestination number of the short message as dialed or entered by theoriginating subscriber, and to further check the short message based ona third checking condition directed to the text content that iscontained in the short message that has been sent by the originatingsubscriber.

In an embodiment of the inventive system, the database is located in orattached to one of the mobile services switching center of theA-subscriber (i.e. the message-sending or originating subscriber), thegateway, and the short message switching center, and these variouscomponents of the mobile communication system operatively carry out thechecking of the short message using the blocking definitions stored inthe database. The database may be external (i.e. attached to one ofthese system components) or internal (i.e. integral or a part of one ofthese system components.

In an embodiment of the invention, the database is based on and utilizedintegrally with the functionality of the interface between the homelocation register and the visitor location register. In suchimplementations, from the viewpoint of the system operator of the homenetwork, the home location register functions as the master database. Asa consequence, when a mobile station moves into the coverage area orregion of a particular mobile services switching center, informationrelating to the blocking of short message transmissions for that mobilestation is copied from the database to the visitor location register inaccordance with normal operating procedures of the GSM mobilecommunication system.

Also in an embodiment of the invention, the gateway includes or isprovided with a signaling block that is operable to send the signalsneeded to implement the blocking of short message transmissions betweenthe first and second interfaces.

Additionally in an embodiment of the inventive system, the systemincludes a saving block operable for attaching short message blockingdefinitions to the blocking information stored or maintained in the homelocation register (HLR) as defined by the system operator.

As compared to prior art systems, operations and methods, the presentinvention advantageously permits ready control of short message serviceaccess rights based on the intended recipient subscriber number and/or asearch of short message text or content as a result of the shared use ofmodified databases and network elements.

Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparentfrom the following detailed description considered in conjunction withthe accompanying drawings. It is to be understood, however, that thedrawings are designed solely for purposes of illustration and not as adefinition of the limits of the invention, for which reference should bemade to the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings, wherein like reference characters denote similar orcorresponding elements throughout the various Figures:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a system in accordance with the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 is a flow chart of an implementation of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a signaling diagram illustrating functionality provided by animplementation of the invention; and

FIG. 4 is a signaling diagram illustrating functionality provided byanother implementation of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE CURRENTLY PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The system shown in FIG. 1 includes a terminal device MS and atelecommunication network MSN to which the terminal device is connected,as for example by way of a wireless communication link or radiointerface. In this implementation, by way of preferred example, thetelecommunication network MSN is a mobile communication network, and theterminal device MS is a mobile station. The system also includes amobile services switching center MSC, a short message service centerSMSC, a gateway GW, and a database DB. The mobile services switchingcenter MSC is connected to the mobile communication network MSN and tothe short message service center SMSC. The gateway GW is connected tothe short message service center SMSC, and the database DB is connectedto the gateway GW.

Provided in short message service center SMSC is a checking block 1 thatis operable to determine, in the short message service center based on afirst checking condition, whether a short message is among predeterminednon-allowed short messages. The first checking condition may, by way ofpreferred example, determine whether the intended destination number oraddress of the short message is among or within a predeterminednumerical address space or range. The checking block 1 is also operableto check a short message based on a second checking condition utilizingthe specific destination number to which the short message is to bedelivered as dialed or entered by the originating subscriber that hassent the short message. This second checking condition may, for example,be employed to determine whether the short message is directed to adestination number of a service for which an additional charge isapplicable or levied. The checking block 1 is sill further operable tocheck a short message using a third checking condition based on the textcontent contained in the short message as prepared or sent by theoriginating subscriber. Thus, separate and apart from checks based onthe intended destination subscriber address or number for the shortmessage, the originating user may have included in the message text aword or phrase for which a search can be carried out, as for example theword “balance”. Checking of the short message for the presence ofpredetermined search words or phrases can accordingly be used toidentify messages seeking to utilize services that are billed atdifferent charges and that have therefore been grouped in differentblocking classes.

The gateway GW may by way of illustration be implemented by a servercomputer containing or running software that supports the GSM system andthe necessary signaling protocols. Among other things, gateway GWtypically contains or has access to databases for the storage ofsubscriber-specific information as well as signaling components such asSS7 (Signaling System number 7) for signaling functionality, to whichthe various signaling interfaces required for communications may beappropriately tailored or matched.

Gateway GW also includes the software needed to carry out its variousconventional system operations, such as service creation, execution andmanagement of the environment, and descriptions of services. Gateway GWfurther includes or implements signaling protocols such as INAP(Intelligent Network Application Part, i.e. the protocol used ininter-network application performance), MAP (Mobile Application Part,which is used for GSM network signaling), TCAP (Transaction CapabilitiesApplication Part), TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/InternetProtocol, i.e. the protocol used in the control of data transfers andInternet transmissions), and SMTP (Short Message Transfer Protocol, i.e.the protocol used in the transmission of short messages). In the systemof FIG. 1 gateway GW is connected to short message service center SMSCand to database DB. Gateway GW receives short messages from the shortmessage service center SMSC and analyzes the received short messages.

From the viewpoint of the system operator, the transmission from theoriginating subscriber contains significant identifying information thatcan be compared with the information contained in the database of (orattached to) gateway GW. Following such identification, the databaseblock 2 of gateway GW is utilized to check in database DB, based on theblocking definitions, whether the message-originating subscriber isentitled or permitted to send the short message. The invention providesa signaling block 3 in gateway GW for sending the signals needed forblocking of short message transmissions between the first and secondsignal interfaces, in accordance with the appropriate aforementionedprotocols.

The database DB can also, in accordance with the invention, defineprotocols on the basis of which the sending of a short message to theintended recipient (i.e. the B-subscriber) is blocked. The intendedB-subscriber recipient of the short message may also him- or herselfdefine blocking functionality for one or more identified A-subscribersenders, based on which the transmission of short messages originatingfrom the identified A-subscribers to the mobile station of theB-subscriber will be blocked.

The database DB may be external or internal. The external database mayfor example be a home location register HLR, in which case the databaseDB is based on the functionality of the interface between the homelocation register HLR and the visitor location register VLR so that,from the viewpoint of the home network operator, the home locationregister HLR functions as the master database. In such implementationsthe saving block 4 of gateway GW functions to attach the short messageblocking definitions to the blocking information located in the homelocation register HLR, as defined by the system operator. The databaseDB may be located in (or attached to) the mobile services switchingcenter MSC, in gateway GW, or in the short message service center SMSC.

FIG. 2 is a flow chart that illustrates the operations and functioningof an advantageous implementation of the present invention. A shortmessage is initially sent from the terminal device MS1 of theoriginating subscriber to the mobile services switching center MSC(arrow 20). The short message is then transmitted from mobile serviceswitching center MSC to the short message service center SMSC (arrow21). The short message service center receives the short message,analyzes it and sends to the gateway GW only those short messages that,based on the analysis, are among those short messages to be furthertransmitted from the short message service center (arrow 22).

Gateway GW receives the short message and checks, through a databasequery in database DB, whether the originating subscriber is entitled orpermitted to send the short message (arrow 23). At this point, thesignaling block of gateway GW attends to providing or assuringcompatibility of traffic between the first and second signal interfacesSRP1, SRP2. The first signal interface SRP1 is the interface betweengateway GW and short message service center SMSC, and the second signalinterface SRP2 is the interface between gateway GW and database DB.

The database query by gateway GW may for example be carried out using astructured query language (SQL) protocol. In response to that querygateway GW obtains the originating subscriber information that indicateswhether the subscriber is entitled to send a short message or whetherthe transmission should be blocked (arrow 24). If blocking of shortmessage transmission is not indicated for the subscriber, then thetransmission is permitted to proceed (arrow 25). If on the other handthe transmission is to be blocked, then notification of the blocking ofthe transmission is sent from gateway GW to mobile services switchingcenter MSC (arrow 26). This notification may fore example be sent by wayof a short message, USSD (Unstructured Supplementary Service Data), orby any other suitable arrangement or mechanism.

The signaling diagram of FIG. 3 depicts another implementation of theinvention illustrating additional functionality. The A-subscriber sendsan MO (Mobile Originated) short message to the intended recipientB-subscriber. The short message is transmitted to the short messageservice center SMS-C (arrow 1). The short message service center SMS-Cretrieves the routing information of the B-subscriber from the homelocation register HLR, as for example via an SRI (Send RoutingInformation) for SMS message (arrow 2). In response to that query, homelocation register HLR normally returns the address of the mobileservices switching center for the B-subscriber. However, in accordancewith this implementation of the invention it is determined from theB-subscriber information that SMS blocking service has been activated inthe home location register HLR for the B-subscriber. As a consequence,the home location register HLR returns to the short message servicecenter SMS-C not the address of the mobile services switching centerbut, instead, the address of the gateway GW (arrow 3). The short messagesent by the A-subscriber is in this manner directed from the shortmessage service center SMS-C to the gateway GW by a Forward SM MT(Mobile Terminated) message (arrow 4). Having received the short messagefrom the short message service center SMS-C, gateway GW carries out asearch in database DB of the stored B-subscriber information (arrow 5),and database DB returns to gateway GW a response indicating whether theA-subscriber information could be found in a blocking list associatedwith the B-subscriber in the database (arrow 6). If the A-subscriberinformation was found in the B-subscriber blocking list, then the shortmessage is blocked and thereby not transmitted to the B-subscriber.

If on the other hand the A-subscriber information was not found in theB-subscriber blocking list, then gateway GW sends an SRI for SM messageto gateway GW (arrow 7). The SRI for SM message provides to gateway GWthe routing information for the B-subscriber from the home locationregister HLR (arrow 8). An SRI (Send Routing Info) message may be sentfrom gateway GW to home location register HLF in place of an SRI for SMmessage, in which case the home location register recognizes that themessage has come from gateway GW and returns the routing information forthe B-subscriber to gateway GW (arrow 8). Where, however, the gatewaysends an SRI for SM message, the home location register HLR firstdetermines whether it should return the address of the gateway GW or theaddress of the proper mobile services switching center; thatdetermination may for example be based on the state of a single bit inthe SRI for SM message. Gateway GW then sends a Forward SM message tothe mobile services switching center MSC (arrow 9), and mobile servicesswitching center MSC further transmits the short message to theB-subscriber (arrow 10).

When a client or subscriber requests or orders a blocking service, thesystem operator creates for the client an information field in databaseDB. The client may also directly, i.e. without involving the systemoperator, add or eliminate specific A-subscriber telephone numbers fromthe blocking service, as for example by way of a World Wide Web orbrowser-based user interface set up for the client, to define thoseA-subscribers from which the B-subscriber does not wish to receive shortmessages. The operations of the gateway GW may also be implemented so asto provide a variety of functions associated with short messages; forexample, the blocking service may send a notification of a blocked shortmessage to the sender or originator of the short message, may store amessage for later or delayed delivery, etc. The short message blockingservice may be implemented with respect to normal subscriber numbers aswell as service-access numbers.

Still further functionality provided by the present invention isillustrated in the signaling diagram of FIG. 4. An A-subscriber sends anMO (Mobile Originated) short message addressed to the number of aB-subscriber. The short message is transmitted to the short messageservice center SMS-C (arrow 1). Short message service center SMS-Cretrieves the routing information for the B-subscriber from the homelocation register HLR, as for example by an SRI for SMS message (arrow2). In response to the query from the short message service center, thehome location register HLR returns the address of the mobile servicesswitching center MSC of the B-subscriber (arrow 3). The short message isthen transmitted, in accordance with the query response, from the shortmessage service center SMS-C to the identified mobile services switchingcenter MSC (arrow 4). Based on the B-subscriber user information, themobile services switching center MSC is informed as to whether anyspecial measures are to be taken for short message traffic addressed tothe B-subscriber. The B-subscriber user information is retrieved fromthe home location register HLR when the B-subscriber enters the coveragearea of the mobile services switching center MSC. The B-subscriber userinformation is preferably saved in the visitor location register VLR(Visitor Location Register) located in or attached to or otherwiseassociated with the mobile services switching center MSC. In thisillustrative implementation, the SMS blocking service is indicated inthe B-subscriber user information as having been activated and, as aconsequence, the short message is further directed to the gateway GW(arrow 5).

Gateway GW carries out or effects a search in the database DB based onthe B-subscriber information (arrow 6), and database DB returns togateway GW an indication of whether the A-subscriber information waspresent in the stored blocking list associated with the B-subscriber(arrow 6). If the A-subscriber information was found in the blockinglist, then the short message is blocked and is therefore not transmittedto the B-subscriber. If on the other hand the A-subscriber informationwas not located in the blocking list, then gateway GW forwards orreturns the short message to the mobile services switching center MSC ofthe B-subscriber. Mobile services switching center MSC recognizes thatthe short message came from gateway GW and further transmits the shortmessage to the B-subscriber (arrow 9).

The invention thus enables system subscribers to advantageously utilizeits functionality to implement a virtually unlimited number of blockingscenarios. For example, in the embodiments of either FIG. 3 or FIG. 4, asubscriber or client A may wish to not receive short messages from herex-boyfriend. The client defines in her blocking service that shortmessages coming from the telephone number of her ex-boyfriend are not tobe transmitted to her mobile station, and may herself set the durationof the service block.

Similarly, in either of the embodiments of FIG. 3 or 4, a client B maynot wish to receive short messages from the client's work colleaguesduring the client's vacation. The client may accordingly define in theblocking service all those message-originating telephone numbers forwhich the client wishes to implement short message blocking. In thismanner the client can avoid receipt of work-related short messagesduring the vacation. The blocked short messages may instead be stored bythe service, and the senders of the short messages can be notified ofthe fact that the short messages have not been delivered to the intendedrecipient.

As should be apparent, the invention is not intended to be restrictedmerely to those implementations described herein, as numerous variationsare possible and should be deemed to be within the scope andcontemplation of the invention.

Thus, while there have shown and described and pointed out fundamentalnovel features of the invention as applied to preferred embodimentsthereof, it will be understood that various omissions and substitutionsand changes in the form and details of the methods described and devicesillustrated, and in their operation, may be made by those skilled in theart without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, itis expressly intended that all combinations of those elements and/ormethod steps which perform substantially the same function insubstantially the same way to achieve the same results are within thescope of the invention. Moreover, it should be recognized thatstructures and/or elements and/or method steps shown and/or described inconnection with any disclosed form or embodiment of the invention may beincorporated in any other disclosed or described or suggested form orembodiment as a general matter of design choice. It is the intention,therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the claimsappended hereto.

1-24. (canceled)
 25. A method of routing a short message for furthertransmission in a communication system comprising: checking said shortmessage based at least in part on a set of criteria; and forwarding saidshort message for further transmission if said set of criteria aresatisfied by said short message.
 26. The method of claim 25, and furthercomprising: not forwarding said short message for further transmissionif said set of criteria are not satisfied by said short message.
 27. Themethod of claim 25, wherein a set of criteria comprises one or morecriteria.
 28. The method of claim 25, wherein said checking includeschecking said short message against a database.
 29. The method of claim28, wherein said checking against a database includes checking if saidshort message destination comprises a permitted destination.
 30. Themethod of claim 28, and further comprising: blocking said short messageif said short message destination does not comprise a permitteddestination.
 31. The method of claim 30, and further comprising:notifying a subscriber if said short message is blocked.
 32. The methodof claim 32, wherein said subscriber comprises an originatingsubscriber.